Wheelchairs are an integral component in the lives of people who are temporarily or permanently disabled. In some cases, a wheelchair bound occupant is fully dependent on a caregiver. Commercially available wheelchairs provide a structure to hold an individual occupant for a short period of time, but are not comfortable for a significant amount of time on a daily basis. A typical commercially available wheelchair is a folding unit with a tubular steel frame and does not have any suspension system. The wheelchair is constructed with the seat area as an integral part of the chassis with attached wheels, footplates, handles and a back rest. The chassis is completely integrated into the chair, without consideration of dissipation of energy. The wheelchair does not have any shock absorbing or energy dispersing mechanisms, translating all of the energy from the frame to the occupant. A caregiver pushes the chair to furnish motive force, or it is self-propelled via appropriate motors and controls. With the chair being a stressed member of the chassis, every bump and jolt experienced by the chair moving across a surface is immediately and directly translated to the occupant as anxiety and discomfort. Furthermore, the placement of footrest and the size of the rear wheels can inhibit access to the occupant by the caregiver. This can make re-positioning the occupant more difficult.
A wheelchair is commonly used to transport an individual within a structure, to and from transportation and in the out of doors. Certain transportation vehicles can be adapted so as to contain the individual within the wheelchair inside the vehicle, so as to minimize movement from the chair to the vehicle and vice-versa. Movement within a building is generally across relatively level floors, with transitions between carpeted and bare floors, across thresholds and sometimes up one or more stairs. Movement outside buildings can be on a levelled surface or an uneven surface. Over time there has been an increase in development of trails in parks, thereby increasing access to previously inaccessible portions.
Movement for an individual can be anxiety-causing. Wheelchairs tend to be top-heavy and stability during any movement is a factor. Most of the energy absorbed by the frame is directly transferred through the seat to the individual. Some individuals have little to no control over their body orientation, while others may possess a strong muscular core in their torso, but have little to no control over their extremities. Others may have a strong core and limited use of extremities, such that they can re-position themselves within the chair. When an individual cannot adequately re-position themselves, they must rely on caregivers to do that for them. The inability to re-position themselves can cause a sense of panic when a wheelchair is violently jolted and the individual slides to and fro in their seat. Those who are able take it for granted to re-position their own body in a chair when a muscle is sore, a leg falls asleep or the chair unexpectedly threatens to spill the sitter to the floor. But this is not so for everyone, and when the ability to re-position is not present, there can be a lurking dread of falling or injury whenever the wheelchair is jostled. This fear can become a limiting factor in the enjoyment of life. An individual in a chair may become reluctant to travel into a park because the terrain of the trail is varied or rough. This could lead to an individual missing out on many pleasures. For example, an individual who is a car fanatic might be reluctant to travel to a place where off-road vehicles are competing in a hill climb because the trail is stony.
The comfort of a wheel chair relies in part on the seat, both for how well it holds the user and how well shock is dispersed before reaching the seat. However, the seat is typically an integral component that offers few if any options to the user with regard to comfort, ergonomics or general fit. Wheelchair accessories commercially available on the market include various supplemental seating cushions, pads and inserts. In many instances, the wheelchair bound individual is dependent for all daily activity on his or her wheelchair and the lack of variety in seating options is highly disadvantageous. Additionally, the fame and suspension system in most wheelchairs is relatively limited, and does not take advantages of advanced construction techniques and/or materials that are now commercially available and used in a wide range of contemporary manufactured products. It would be desirable to provide a system with interchangeable seats that can be adapted to the individual user that is mounted on a chassis that can displace shocks and energy and thereby create a smooth, enjoyable ride for the individual.